Human rights

Respect and protection of human and labor rights in all relations with our stakeholders is fundamental. We do not tolerate forced or compulsory labor in any form and we guarantee the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation and the effective abolition of child labor, as well as the respect, integrity and dignity of all people in the work environment.

We adhere to the United Nations Global Compact and promote compliance with the principles set out in the United Nations International Bill of Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration and its core conventions, and the European Convention on Human Rights.

In 2021, in order to reinforce our commitment to compliance with and protection of human rights, the Board of Directors approved the policy of respect for human rights. In addition, we have in place other Corporate Standards and Policies that support and complement respect for human and labor rights, both among our employees and with third parties with whom we interact.

Our human rights performance is based on minimizing the risks associated with human rights through:

▪ Commitment and awareness of compliance with international norms and standards on human rights to all its stakeholders.
▪ Analysis of risks associated with human rights, based on the probability of occurrence of a harm or violation, distinguishing between low risk, if the probability is remote, medium risk, if there is a probability of occurrence or high risk, if it is detected that there is a high probability of occurrence.
▪ Enabling communication, reporting and/or complaint channels.

In 2020, in order to extend our commitments to sustainability and ethics, including respect for human rights, to all our suppliers, we developed and approved our Supplier Code of Ethics, and require acceptance, adherence and contractual compliance by all our suppliers and/or business partners with whom we work.

We also conduct due diligence assessments and on-site inspections of our main suppliers, ensuring their compliance with all international human rights norms and standards.

Our people

At Solaria we are committed to society and, in particular, to our employees. Therefore, for Solaria, respect for human rights, diversity, equal opportunities, equal treatment and non-discrimination are inalienable and fundamental rights of people.

We respect all the rights of our current and potential employees, knowing that this is the only way to create a safe, open and trusting work environment, giving value to our best resource, people.

Our selection processes are characterized by being objective, impartial, transparent, confidential and respectful of equality and non-discrimination. We always strive to ensure that the number of women and men participating in our selection processes is equal.

In addition, we are committed to providing fair working conditions, favoring permanent contracts and internal promotion. In addition, all our employees receive an annual variable remuneration, in addition to the fixed salary, regardless of their job position, and have social benefits with tax advantages such as training, medical insurance, life insurance, restaurant tickets, transportation card or day care.

We also have an Internship and Scholarship Program, implemented in 2020, through agreements with different Spanish universities. At the end of the first half of the year, 5% of our employees were in an internship program. In addition, 3% of our employees have been hired after completing an internship program in Solaria.

Diversity and equal opportunities

We aim to implement all measures within our reach to achieve parity between men and women in the workforce and, in any case, to maintain female representation above 25%.

We also promote diversity by including people with disabilities in our workforce.

SOLARIA’S EQUALITY COMMITTEE is the body in charge of ensuring compliance with the principles, commitments, internal policies and applicable legislation on social matters and the protection of people’s fundamental rights and freedoms, guaranteeing respect for diversity and equal opportunities. It is also the body in charge of achieving the objectives set.

As a novelty, in 2021 we have set ourselves the goal of increasing internal promotion among our male and female employees. Specifically, we aim to end the year with a promotion of 10% of the workforce in terms of position and salary, and to increase female representation in the middle management category by 20% compared to 2020.

“Cuéntanoslo” plan

As part of our sustainable strategy and commitment to our employees, we have launched in the first half of the year 2021 the “CUÉNTANOSLO” PLAN, which consists of conducting an annual work climate survey by all our employees, thus meeting the goal set this year to increase satisfaction surveys and with the ultimate goal of making Solaria a company where our people feel satisfied and proud. 
 
In July we launched our first survey to all our employees, with a participation of 61% of the staff. 

Training

During 2020, a new Training Plan was launched with the aim of increasing the training hours received by our employees, which we have more than fulfilled, given that the increase in training hours given to our staff was 260% compared to 2019, and we continue our efforts to maintain the growing line during the coming years.

Among the training provided to Solaria employees, priority is given to training in corporate sustainability, diversity and non-discrimination, human rights, ethics and compliance, anti-corruption, the fight against climate change, occupational health and safety, training in relation to the company´s activity and other more specific training, which are analyzed according to needs.

Training centers

At Solaria, as a specialist and leader in renewable energies and, specifically, solar energy, we know that we can create synergies and collaborate in the local communities in which we operate to facilitate training in renewable energies and photovoltaic solar energy for the people in the area.

For this reason, we have signed collaboration agreements with schools in different locations where we have solar plants, with the aim of, through certified courses, training people in photovoltaic solar energy and solar plant maintenance, promoting the ease of training and learning for people in rural Spain, as well as promoting STEM vocations among women, since our goal is that at least 50% of the students are women.

We also collaborate with different training centers in municipalities close to the areas in which we have solar plants to carry out workshops or practical training sessions for their students at our plants.

Occupational health and safety

At Solaria we firmly believe that reaching the goal of “Zero Accidents” is possible and for this we work with all those involved in the life cycle of our activities.

Our main objective is the implementation in the organization of a Preventive Culture in which all employees, whatever their position, are responsible for their own safety and contribute to the safety of the whole.

We comply with current health and safety legislation in all countries in which we operate and take all necessary preventive measures to protect our employees, both direct and indirect.

During 2020 we have increased the number of hours of training in Health and Safety. The training is mainly focused on Risk Management, Incidents, Safety Leadership, Driving, safety, first aid, fire fighting and emergency plans. In 2021 we aim to continue to increase the number of hours of training our employees receive, both in health and safety and other areas.

In addition, our accident rates are lower than the average for our sector. We aim to keep the accident rate low and to continue with a progressive reduction.

As of 2021, we have set ourselves the objective of carrying out periodic internal audits on occupational health and safety at 100% of our facilities and construction sites. In addition, we have begun to carry out Due Diligences in social, labor and environmental matters to the construction companies that work with us.

We have set up the OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE as the body responsible for ensuring compliance with the standards in this area and proposing new measures or improvements where appropriate.

Local communities

Local communities are a key stakeholder for us and, above all, for the success of our projects. For this reason, we dedicate the necessary resources to ensure a good relationship and fluid and constant communication with the communities.

Local development is key to our business. We bring significant socio-economic benefits to local communities and seek a positive impact on municipalities through job creation, as well as through social initiatives based on the assessment of the needs of each area, promoting local and rural development. Before starting any project, we carry out an environmental and social impact assessment in the territory, in order to avoid and mitigate any negative impact and enhance the positive ones.

Local job creation:
We prioritize the hiring of local resources, both the personnel required for construction and the purchase of supplies, whenever possible, which is a strong value for the revitalization of the economy and local employment. Specifically, during the construction period of a photovoltaic plant, we mobilize an average of 300 people directly, in addition to the indirect employment generated in the neighboring municipalities of the solar plant, which represents a strong value for the revitalization of the economy and local employment. In addition, the plants’ Operation and Maintenance teams have their usual residence in the area where the solar plant is located, thus contributing to the creation of local employment throughout the useful life of the plants.

Environmental benefits:
At the environmental level, the benefits are also notorious since, in addition to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, the reduction of electricity dependence and the lowering of the electricity mix, we collaborate with different associations or local entities to integrate agriculture and livestock into the solar plants that coexist in harmony with the solar panels, for example, lavender plantations, beekeeping or sheep, which are currently already in charge of clearing most of the solar plants, thus avoiding the pollution caused by the clearing machines. It should also be noted that we always look for land with little agricultural capacity, trying to ensure that there have been no previous conflicts on or because of such land.

Economic development:
Additionally, from an economic development point of view, we contribute significant income to local communities through taxes and fees. As an example, in the development of a project, the neighboring local communities gain access to the so-called ICIO (Construction Tax) whose value can be up to 4% of the project’s budget. This is a very significant amount which, together with the payment of the Real Estate Tax and other taxes and fees, also linked to the value of the project, constitutes an important source of funds for the municipalities in which our projects are located.
This direct and indirect creation of wealth in the municipalities or regions where we are located significantly favors the activation of rural life and avoids depopulation.

Fluid communication and active dialogue

Transparency with our stakeholders is essential. One of our main commitments is open, fluid and permanent communication.
We want to ensure that all stakeholders, including local communities as one of our priority stakeholders, have access to our updated information.

For this reason, we have different information and communication mechanisms that ensure the availability, immediacy, veracity and transparency of the information. In this sense, we have in place a Stakeholder Communication Policy, where you can learn more in detail about the guidelines that govern Solaria’s external communication.

Some of the communication mechanisms we have are:

• Website, where all relevant information and documentation is published and kept available, such as periodic results presentations, policies and procedures, sustainability commitments, contact details with the different areas of the Company, etc.
• Presence in social networks: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
• Presence in general, local and sector media.
• Events, forums and round tables, with the purpose of exchanging ideas, theories and opinions and making our stakeholders aware of Solaria’s strategy and milestones.
• Mailboxes open to all stakeholders: [email protected] and [email protected].

In addition to these publications, we maintain a fluid communication from the early stages of the projects through formal
In addition to these publications, we maintain fluid communication from the early stages of the projects through formal and informal meetings, training sessions and making available to the communities the different communication channels we have.
Our goal is to establish a two-way, win-win communication in dialogue with the local community during all stages of the project, development, construction, operation and maintenance.

Suply chain management

Supply chain risk management and the involvement of governance bodies is increasingly relevant to the reputation of companies.

We are aware of the need to conduct due diligence on our supply chain and therefore identify, assess and manage supply chain risks.

As a first mitigation measure and with the aim of extending our sustainability commitments to our supply chain and suppliers, we have in place the Supplier Code of Ethics, which is included in all contracts with suppliers. In this way, we establish guidelines for the control and management of risks associated with our suppliers’ activities. We require all our suppliers to adhere to, accept and comply with the Code by contract.

Of the total number of suppliers with whom we have a relationship, two groups can be distinguished:

▪ Suppliers of goods and supplies. In this group, the most relevant suppliers are those from whom we purchase the components of the solar plants, which are mainly modules, inverters and trackers.

▪ Service suppliers. In this group, the most relevant suppliers for our business are the Contractors, companies engaged in the construction of solar plants and substations. It should be noted in this regard that Solaria performs the work of EPCista , since the development, engineering and purchase of supplies and materials are carried out internally.
All construction companies are subject to an environmental assessment and monitoring of compliance with the Environmental Impact Statement and corporate environmental standards.